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Second grader Caleb Zhao from Gaithersburg, MD, was the grand prize winner of last year’s "Be Ready. Be Buckled." art contest (kindergarten through second grade age group).

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) today announced the launch of the 2014 “Be Ready. Be Buckled.” student art contest organized by the Commercial Motor Vehicle Safety Belt Partnership. Open to students in kindergarten through sixth grade with relatives or sponsors in the commercial truck and bus industries, the contest educates kids about highway safety and urges commercial drivers to buckle up on every trip.

“Safety belts save lives, and this contest is a great way to engage our kids in a conversation about the importance of buckling up before every trip,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx. “The calendars also serve as a year-round reminder about traveling safely on our roadways.”

According to recently released data compiled by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in 2012 (the most recent year available) 697 occupants of large trucks were killed in crashes. Further analysis by FMCSA researchers revealed that approximately 40 percent were not wearing safety belts.

“Every year, thousands of lives are lost and injuries incurred in motor vehicle crashes because drivers and passengers fail to buckle-up,” said Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administrator Anne S. Ferro. “We can save lives by encouraging safety belt use 100 percent of the time, and this contest sets a positive safety example for the next generation.”

FMCSA will accept contest submissions through Feb. 28, 2014. Students can submit their artwork by mail to the following address:

The CMV Safety Belt Partnership is a collaboration among the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), other government agencies, and industry specific private-sector organizations designed to encourage safety belt use by commercial motor vehicle drivers. Saving lives is FMCSA’s main safety goal. The partnership helps support this strategic objective.